


One of Each

by wordywarrior



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-06-25 14:25:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19747546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordywarrior/pseuds/wordywarrior
Summary: For: @captain-rogers-beardLove All the Marvel Ships Challenge – 28 Days of LoveChallenge: #7: ShoppingPairing: Pepper/TonyWord Count: 762Warnings: PG-ish behavior; fluff





	One of Each

**Author's Note:**

> For: @captain-rogers-beard  
> Love All the Marvel Ships Challenge – 28 Days of Love  
> Challenge: #7: Shopping  
> Pairing: Pepper/Tony  
> Word Count: 762  
> Warnings: PG-ish behavior; fluff

“I love this,” Tony asserted, eyes wide and eager. “Why have we never done this before?”

Watching him plant one foot on the cart and push off the linoleum with another, Pepper hid her face with one hand, and began subtly taking things out of the cart with the other. It was meant to be a quick stop – she only needed a few things before they were to fly out – but Tony had insisted on joining her.

What was supposed to be a ten-minute trip for a few magazines, tampons, and toothpaste had turned into an hour-long stroll through each aisle of the small store. Pepper was truly convinced the man believed faeries and robots stocked his cabinets, because he stared at every item with fascination, commenting on their neat, little rows and how specific items were arranged.

Tony could barely stand still long enough to get a suit tailored, so, she’d just assumed a task as mundane as shopping would have resulted in him rolling his eyes and waiting in the car. Pepper hadn’t seen him this excited about anything other than what he did in the lab, and it was equally endearing and terrifying.

“I want one of everything,” Tony gushed, snapping out his hand and grabbing an item off a hook. “Ooo, this looks fun. What is it?”

Pepper cleared her throat and rubbed the back of her neck, “It’s a tenderizer. For steak, chicken…”

“Oh,” he murmured, holding it aloft. “So, you beat your meat with it?”

A couple of teenagers stocking the shelves began sniggering, which made her blush. After plucking the tenderizer from his hands and putting it back where it belonged, Pepper seized the end of the cart, and began pulling it.

“Could you just – just stand here. Don’t touch anything, don’t move anything,” Pepper stammered.

Tony made a show of crossing his heart, “Yes, ma’am.”

Pepper hurried down the next aisle and grabbed what she needed. She was just turning around to retrieve Tony when he rounded the corner and began to blink rapidly. The same aisle that housed tampons and toothpaste also hosted condoms and lubricants. It was also the aisle where all the baby paraphernalia was kept, and the sight of sleeping infants on diaper boxes brought him up short.

“You ever think about it?” he asked quietly.

Pepper dumped her items into the cart and sighed, “Think about what, Tony?”

He nodded his head toward the shelf, “Kids.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him she thought about it all the time, but she stopped herself. The far-away look in his eyes suggested he wouldn’t have heard her, anyway.

Pepper couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking about, but she didn’t dare ask. She knew how he felt about kids and she also knew what his upbringing had been like. While Pepper didn’t doubt Tony would be a wonderful father, she knew that day was not coming any time soon.

The subject was much too sensitive to discuss at their present location and he knew it, too. He took a deep breath and shook his head, which what he always did when he didn’t want to think about unpleasant things, reached for an economy-sized box of Magnum condoms, and tossed them into the cart.

“Ready to go?” he asked brightly, planting his foot and pushing off again.

Pepper did her best to ignore the side-eyed looks the clerk gave them as their selections were put on the belt. Once everything was bagged and the cart was returned, Tony plucked the bags from her hands, and carried them out to the car.

“You’d be great at it, you know,” Tony told her, opening the passenger door with flourish. “At being a mom. You’d be great at it because you’re great at everything. Me, on the other hand…”

Tony cleared his throat and ducked his head, but before he could say anything self-deprecating, Pepper leaned in, and placed a soft kiss on his worried-lined mouth.

“I’d be great because you’d be great. You know that, right?”

“You’d have to be the bad cop,” Tony sighed against her lips. “I’m just not capable of being a disciplinarian.”

“Shut up and get in the car, Oh-Great-One,” she murmured playfully.

He grinned and kicked up his chin, “I like that. Say that again.”

“Maybe later,” Pepper replied, tapping his cheek with her nail before climbing into the car and settling into her seat. “If you’re a good boy.”

Tony chuckled and shook his head, “What did I tell ya’? Already great.”


End file.
